Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

Adam Himmelsbach | After easy win John Calipari, talks pressure

Kentucky forward Trey Lyles dunks in the first half. The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ(Photo: Jonathan Palmer / Jonathan Palmer)

LEXINGTON – You can usually tell when Kentucky coach John Calipari is in a good mood, and on Sunday night, after his team throttled overmatched Montana State, 86-28, he was in a good mood.

He walked into his postgame interview carrying a shiny, helium-filled balloon. It was his daughter Megan's birthday, and Calipari was making fun of himself for posting a happy birthday wish to her on Twitter before it was actually her birthday.

He smiled. He laughed at his jokes. He dropped in some comedic pauses, always aware that timing is essential. And why wouldn't he be cheery?

Since college basketball began using a shot clock in 1985, no UK opponent had ever scored fewer points than the Bobcats did in this game. This throttling included a 29-0 run that kept Montana State scoreless for more than 13 minutes. This was a boot-on-bug mismatch.

But with Calipari, there is always a message. And that message will come out, whether there is a convenient place for it or not. In this case, the message materialized after Calipari was asked about Devin Booker's shot selection. He started answering the question, and then he switched lanes without a turn signal.

"Let me just say this to everybody," he said to everybody. "What these kids deal with, to be here, to play here, to be part of this program, they wear a 100-pound coat."

The coat, Calipari explained, was a metaphor for the pressure that is on his No. 1-ranked team. He said some of the weight comes from him, from his relentless, demanding style that holds his players to an impossibly high standard. He said some of the weight — 20 pounds, to be exact — comes from the environment in Lexington that he described as "ridiculous." He said some of the weight comes from the media.

"Oh, 45 straight (wins)," he began, in his best imitate-the-whiny-media voice. "They could beat the 76ers. Let's take a vote.' What?"

He said some of the weight comes from the clutter that is around each player — presumably friends, family members and others.

"That's 100 pounds," Calipari explained. "The people coming in to play us got windbreakers. They're loose as a goose. They're just gonna go play."

Now, as far as Calipari metaphors go, this wasn't a bad one. But this was hardly the setting that called for it or illustrated it.

Posted!

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns dunks the ball in the second half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

The Kentucky bench can't believe there was no foul called after guard Sam Malone was hammered while going to the basket in the second half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky guard Sam Malone, center, is hammered while going to the basket by Montana State forward Quinn Price in the second half but no foul was called.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky forward Derek Willis, center, contests a shot by Montana State forward Terrell Brown in the second half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky guard Devin Booker dunks on a fast break in the first half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky guard Devin Booker, left, grabs a loose ball en route to a fast break score in the first half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky forward Trey Lyles shoots a three point basket in the first half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky head coach John Calipari, center, motions for his team to put their hands up on defense in the first half.
Kentucky held Montana State to 28 points which is the lowest score in Rupp since the shot clock has been used.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky forward Trey Lyles, right, finished the game with 8 points.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky center Dakari Johnson, left, grabs a rebound over Montana State guard Marcus Colbert in the first half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky forward Willie Cauley-Stein, left, swipes at a loose ball with Montana State guard Stephan Holm in the first half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Montana State head coach Brian Fish directs players in the first half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky forward Willie Cauley-Stein, center, fights for a loose ball with Montana State guard Marcus Colbert in the first half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky guard Devin Booker, right, makes a three point basket in the second half. Booker scored 18 points in the 86-28 win.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky forward Karl-Anthony Towns reaches for a ball headed out of bounds in the second half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky forward Karl-Anthony Towns, left, hugs forward Derek Willis after Willis made a couple of good plays in the second half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky forward Willie Cauley-Stein, right, chases down a loose ball in the second half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky head coach John Calipari, left, gives instruction to forward Trey Lyles during a break in the action during the second half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky forward Willie Cauley-Stein, right, blocks the shot of Montana State forward Quinn Price in the second half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky guard Devin Booker, right, chases after a loose ball with Montana State forward Danny Robison in the second half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky forward Trey Lyles dunks in the first half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky guard Dominique Hawkins, center, goes to the basket with pressure from Montana State forward Danny Robison, left, in the first half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Kentucky forward Karl-Anthony Towns, back, blocks a shot by Montana State guard Michael Dison in the first half.
The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team hosted Montana State University, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Photo by Jonathan Palmer, Special to the CJ Jonathan Palmer, Jonathan Palmer

Montana State, which failed to get the ball across midcourt during the game's opening 90 seconds, didn't look like it was playing loose as a goose in a windbreaker. It looked terrified.

The Bobcats made 19 percent of their field-goal attempts. UK blocked 12 of their shots and gathered 11 steals and played free and easy.

This did not look like a fair fight until UK's third platoon — consisting of three walk-ons — entered the game for the last few minutes. And even then it was debatable.

Yes, the road will get tougher, and it will happen quickly. Over the next 35 days, UK will face Providence, Texas, North Carolina, UCLA and Louisville. By then, the coat might feel a bit more restricting. On this night, though, it clearly did not.